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HISTORT 



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PARISH AND TOWN 



BERLIN. 



BY A. CARTER. 







\V O K c E S T E 1< , M A 

16/8 



^i-^ 



INTRODUCTORY. 



-tM^ order to understand truly the history of Berlin, it seems 
^ necessary to consider it in its embryo state — through its 
infancy and youth, to mature age. It must have been some 
time in embryo, for the records show that the land deeded 
by Samuel Jones and David Rice to the citizens of Bolton, 
who had petitioned to be set off as a Parish, to be used as a 
/, was so deeded in 1768, some ten years be- 
> zens were set off as a Parish. In 1778 the 

jrritory now comprising Berlin, excepting a small 
A from Marlboro', was set off from Bolton by an 
? e government of Massachusetts Bay, and was desig- 

:. the title of the Sou^/i Parish of Bolton, it was a 

organization, presenting territorial limits, and in- 
all the citizens within that territory. It seems to 
..r... ocen a preliminary step toward town organization. 
t : • t step was an enactment forming the same territory, 
together with a few farms from Marlboro', into a district un- 
der the title of the District of Berlin. It seems to have 
remained a district about 28 years, and was then incorpo- 
rated as a town, with equal rights of other towns of the 
Commonwealth. As a proof of the foregoing, there is here 
added the enactments and proceedings as taken from the 
records by the present town clerk, covering the space of time 
from the set-off as a parish up to its incorporation as a town 
in 1812. 



HISTORY OF THE 

Parish and Town of Berlin. 



Records from 1778 to 1S12. 



STATE OF MASSACHUSETTS BAY. 

In the year of our Lord one thousand, seven hundred | 
and seventy-eight. ) 

An Act, for setting off a part of the Town of Bolton in the 

County ox" Worcester, as a separate Parish. 

Whereas, for the greater convenience for attending the 
Pubhck Worhip of God, it is found necessary to set off a 
part of the town of BoUon, in the County of Worcester, as 
a separate Parish. 

Be it Enacted by the Council and House of Represen- 
tatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority of 
the same, That all the Lands, with the inhabitants thereon 
in the town of Bolton, to the southward of a line beginning 
three miles, one-half, and sixty-two rods from the south- 
westerly corner of said Bolton, at a stake and stones on 
Lancaster line, thence running East twenty-four degrees, 
South one mile, one-half and forty rods, to a heap of stones 
near Amos Merriam's shop, thence running East thirty- 
seven degrees. South three miles and forty rods to Marl- 
boro line. 

Be and is sett off hereby as a separate Parish, by the 
name of the South Parish in Bolton. And be it further en- 
acted by the authority aforesaid, that the said South Parish 



6 

shall be, and hereby is invested with all the rights, privileges 
and immunities which by law other Parishes are invested 
with. 

And be it further enacted by the authority aforesaid, that 
all the inhabitants of said Town shall pay all their former 
ministerial taxes in the same manner as if the town had not 
been divided. Except, that assessment made January, on^ 
thousand seven hundred and seventy-eight, and that tax, 
with the use that may hereafter be made, shall be paid ac- 
cording to said Incorporation, any former votes of the town 
to the contrary notwithstanding. 

And be it further enacted, that the inhabitants of each 
Parish in said Town have full liberty to attend Publick Wor- 
ship, in which Parish they please, and to pay their ministe- 
rial taxes for their Polls and Estates where they attend. 
Provided they return names annually some time in the 
month of September to the Assessors of the Parish they 
propose to attend Publick Worship in, and all that shall not 
thus return their names, to be taxed to the Parish within the 
limits of which they shall live in the month of September 
annually. 

And be it further enacted, that Samuel Baker, Esq., be, 
and is hereby empowered to issue his warrant to some prin- 
cipal inhabitant of the said South Parish requiring him to 
notify and warn the inhabitants to meet at such time and 
place in the South Parish as by said warrant shall be duly 
specified, and there choose such Officers of said Parish. 
And the inhabitants qualified by law to vote, being so assem- 
bled, shall be, and are hereby impowered to choose such 
officers accordingly. 
In the House of Representatives, April 13th, 1778. 

This Bill having been read three several times, passed to 
be enacted. J'S WARREN, Sp'k'r. 

In Council, April 13th, 1778, this Bill having had two' 
several readings, passed to be enacted. 

JNO. AVERY, D. Sec'tary. 

Consented to by the major part of the Council. 
True Copy : Attest, JNO. AVERY, D. Sec'tary. 

A True Copy of Parish Record, 

ALBERT BABCOCK, Parish Clerk. 



Worcester, ss. To Samuel Jones of Bolton, in said County. 

Gentleman : Whereas, by an Act of the General Court, 
passed this present year, of our Lord, one thousand, seven 
hundred and seventy-eight, a part of the town of Bolton, in 
the southerly part was sett off and incorporated into a sepa- 
rate Parish by the name of the South Parish. And, whereas 
by the said Act, the subscriber is authorized by warrant, 
directed to some one principal inhabitant of said Parish, re- 
quiring him to give warning to the inhabitants of said South 
Parish, to meet at such time and place as shall be specifitd 
in said warrant, to choose Parish Officers. 

These are therefore, in the name of the Government and 
people, to require you the said Samuel Jones, to give notice 
to the inhabitants of the «aid South Parish, qualifitd to vote 
in town affairs (by posting up this warrant and notification 
in some public place within the same) to meet at the house 
of Samuel Jones, innholder in said Parish, on Tuesday, the 
nineteenth day of May inst., at two of the clock in the af- 
ternoon, then and there, 

1st. To choose a Moderator to govern said meeting. 

2d. To choose all necessary Parish Officers, and have 
this warrant at the time of said meeting and place aforesaid, 
with a return of your doings thereon. 

Given under my hand and seal at said Bolton, this fifth 
day of May, A. D. 177S. 

SAMUEL BAKER, Justice of the Peace. 

Worcester, ss. By virtue of this warrant, I have notified 
and warned the inhabitants in the South Parish of Bolton, 
qualified to vote in Parish affairs, by readding and by post- 
ing up this warrant at the house of Samuel Jones, Innholder, 
fourteen days before said meeting, to meet at the time and 
place for the purposes in said warrant. 

Bolton, May 19th, 1778. SAMUEL JONES. 

Bolton, South Parish, May 19th, 1778. 

At the house of Samuel Jones, the inhabitants of said 
Parish, being on due warning met : 

1st. Chose Samuel Baker, Moderator to govern said 
meeting. 

2nd. Chose Jonathan Merriam, Parish Clerk. Sworn. 

3rd. Voted to choose three persons for a Parish Com- 
mittee. 



4th. Chose James Goddard the 1st Committee Man. 

N. B. The above minutes were taken by the Moderator. 

5th. Chose Abijah Pratt 2nd Committee Man. 

6th. Chose Joshua Johnson 3rd ditto 

7th. Chose Jonathan Merriam, ) 

8th. Chose Timodiy Jones, V Parish Assessors. 

*Jth. Wilham Sawyer, Jr., ) Sworn. 

lOth. Chose Samuel Jones, Parish Treasurer. Sworn, 
llth. Chose Fortunatus Barnes, Collector. Sworn. 

SAMUEL BAKER, Moderator. 

A second meeting was held July 6th, 1778, to agree upon 
a Meeting-house spot for said Parish, and 

2nd. To see what the Parish will do about having preach- 
ing amongst ourselves. 

Bolton, Sept. 29th, 1778. 

In Parish meeting assembled. Voted to have preaching 
among ourselves, and to choose a committee to hire a Min- 
ister. Chose James Goddard, Fortunatus Barnes, and 
Joshua Johnson for said committee. Then voted under the 
article following, the first grant of money to support preach- 
ing of ;^100, and also ^13, 9s. to pay the incorporation 
expences. From this time preaching was secured to the 
South Parish, ever afterwards. 

At a subsequent meeting, dated Dec. 24th, 1778, voted to 
choose a committee to take a deed of the Meeting-house 
spot, on the little hill north of the road leading from Samuel 
Jones house to Samuel Rice shop, at the crotch of the roads. 

(COPY OF DEED.) 

Know all Men, by these presents, that I, Samuel Jones of 
Bolton, in the County of Worcester, and State of the Mas- 
sachusetts Bay in New England, Yeoman, for and in consid- 
eration of the love and good which I have for the inhabit- 
ants of the South Parish in s** Bolton, and for y*^ speedy 
settlement of the Gospel in s<* Parish, have given, granted 
and do by these presents give, grant, aliene and fully, freely, 
and absolutely confirm unto the Inhabitants of y'= s*^ South 
Parish in said Bolton, their heirs and assigns forever, one 
acre and twenty rods of land in s*^ South Parish for a Meet- 
ing-hous place and accommodation, bounding as follows : 
Begining at a red oak on the South side of y*^ County road, 



and runs westerly nineteen rods with y* said Joneses land to 
a heap of stones by the Burying field ; then Northerly, 
crossing the County road five rods, then Northeasterly ten 
rods to a small blak oak or mark of said County road ; then 
turning aa little more Notherly runing on y^ Northwesterly 
side of a town way twenty-six rods : then crossing sd way 
two rods to heap of stones ; then Southwesterly eleven rods 
and an half to a heap of stones ; then Southerly twelve rods 
to a heap of stones ; then Southwesterly five rods to y'^ first 
mentioned bounds, excepting a County road and a town way 
being within s*^ bounds given, and to have alhd to hold the 
sd given ari,d granted premises together with all their appur- 
tenances free of all incumbrances whatsoever, to them y*^ s'' 
Inhabitants, their heirs and assigns as an absolute estate of 
inheritance in fee simple forever ; and I y^ s'^ Sam'el Jones, 
for myself, my heirs, executors and administrators do cove- 
nant and engage the above demised premises to them the 
s^ Inhabitants of y'' said South Parish in Bolton, their heirs 
and assigns against the lawfuU claims or demands of any 
person or persons whatsoever, forever hereafter to warrant 
and secure and defend by these presents. 

In witness whereof I do hereunto set my hand and seal 
this eighteenth day of January, A. D. one thousand seven 
hundred and seventy-nine. SAMUEL JONES. (Seal.) 
Signed, sealed and delivered) Worcester, ss. 

in presence of ! March 1st, 1779. 

Phinias Moore, [ The above named Samuel 

Nath'el Longley. J Jones appearing, acknowl- 

edged the above written instrument to be his free act and 
deed. Befor me, JOHN WHITCOMB, Ju. Pea. 

Rec'd March 5th, 1779. Entered and examined for 

NATH'L BALDAVIN, Reg'r. 

Worcester, ss. The foregoing is a true copy of record, 
recorded in the Registry of Deeds, Book 80, Page 485, 

Attest: HARVEY B. WILDER, Reg'r. 

Chose Silas Bailey, Eph'm Fairbanks and Jacob Moore, 
committee under Article 3d. Voted to build the House soon 
as convenient, of the same size of Northboro, except one 
foot in heighth ; then voted to choose a committee to 
furnish material for the same, of five persons. Chose Jona- 



10 

than Merriam, Fortunatus Barnes, James Goddard, Timothy 
Jones and Wm. Sawyer, Jnr. for said committee. 

May 3rd, 1779, under warrant made the following grants 
of money, 25 pounds to pay Samuel Jones for use of his 
house in time past, in holding meetings for Public Worship. 
Granted 200 pounds to hire preaching in future — then at the 
adjournment. May 31st, 1779, granted eight hundred pounds 
in addition to all other sums, to enable the committee to 
carry on building the Meeting-house, and also instructed 
this committee to provide Rum, Cider, Spike Poles and 
other necessaries for raising the Meeting-house in said Parish. 
EPHRAIM FAIRBANKS, Moderator. 

The Meeting-house being raised, and the floor being laid, 
(the lining floor only) the meetings for worship, and for 
Parish business, were held within the house afterwards, for 
some time in an unfinished state, and remained the same for 
several years, owing to the depreciation of paper money, 
which was to the rate of one dollar of silver was worth forty 
dollars of paper, or continental money. 

But according to the Records, the Parish maintained the 
Preaching of the Gospel, and on the 12th of March, 1781, 
voted to concur with the Church in inviting the Rev. Reuben 
Puff"er to become their Pastor, with no objections — so says 
the Record — the conditions of his settlement were as follows. 
Ui:)on the acceptance of the invitation of the Church and 
Parish to become their Pastor, he was to receive one hundred 
and sixty pounds settlement in silver money, or in paper 
money at the common exchange, and sixty-six pounds, 
thirteen shillings and fourpence, as a yearly salary in silver 
money, or paper money at the common exchange. 

Then voted to choose a committee to prepare the Invita- 
tion of the church and congregation and lay it before Mr. 
Puffer, and said committee consist of three persons. Chose 
Josiah Sawyer, Henry Powers and Abijah Pratt. Thereon 
June 11th, 1781, voted in Parish Meeting assembled, that 
the Parish will find Mr. Reuben Puffer twenty cords of wood 
at his dwelling house so long as he remains Minister of said 
Parish. July 30th, 1781, at Parish meeting, voted to concur 
with the church in their choice of a council as follows — the 
Church iu Sudbury, Church in East Sudbury, the Church in 
Stowe, the Church in Westboro, the first Church in Shrews- 



11 

bury, the Church in Northboro, the Church in Lancaster. 

And that the day of the Ordination be Wednesday, the 
twenty-sixth day of September next — and the committee to 
issue letters missive were Jacob Moore, Joel Fosgate, 
Stephen Bailey. This committee was to provide for the 
Council, and prepare a place to hold the Ordination services. 
The Meeting-house was not finished suitably for to hold the 
services in, so they were held upon the knoll east of the 
Meeting-house under the shade of a white oak tree. 

Under the same Warrant, at an adjourned meeting, it was 
voted to petition the Town of Bolton to be sett off as a 
separate Town or District, which was consummated in 1783. 
From this to 1833, the business of the Parish was changed 
to the District of Berlin, when all business was carried on as 
in Town affairs, under the name of District, until 1812, 
when it was incorporated as the Town of Berlin. 

Here follows the Act of Incorporation of what to this day 
constitutes the Town of Berlin. 

COMMONWEALTH OF MASSACHUSETTS. 

In the year of our Lord, 1784, An Act to Incorporate the 
South Parish in the town of Bolton, together with David 
Taylor, Silas Carley, Job Spafford and John Brigham, Inhab- 
itants of Marlboro, with their estates, into a District by the 
name of Berlin. 

Whereas it appears on representation to this Court, that it 
would be productive of publick good, and to the benefit and 
satisfaction of the inhabitants and proprietors of the South 
Parish in the Town of Bolton, and the above named inhab- 
itants of the Town of Marlboro should they be incorporated 
into a distinct District, and that all persons immediately con- 
cerned are agreeing thereto. 

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives 
in General Court assembled, and by the authority of the 
same, that the lands hereafter described, and included with- 
in the following boundaries with the Inhabitants thereof, be, 
and hereby are, incorporated into a District by the name of 
Berlin, bounded on the North by Bolton, East by Marlbor- 
ough, South by Northborough, and West by Lancaster. 

And the said District of Berlin shall be, and hereby is in- 
vested with all the privileges and immunities of any District 
within this Commonwealth, as made and provided. 



12 

Be it further enacted by the authority aforesaid, that the 
said District of Berhn shall be subjected to pay their propor- 
tionable part of all publick debts owing by the Town of 
Bolton at the time of the passing of this act, according to 
the present taxable property of the Town of Bolton, and the 
District of Berlin, exclusive of that part of said District of 
Berlin which before the passing this act, was part of the 
Town of Marlboro. 

And be it further enacted by the authority aforesaid, that 
the said District of Berhn shall be at their proportionable 
part of the expense of supporting the poor belonging to the 
said Town of Bolton, previous to the passing this act, to be 
apportioned in like manner as is expressed in the foregoing 
proviso, and any poor which in time to come may be turned 
on the said Town of Bolton, or shall be received and sup- 
ported by that Town, or by the said District in whichsoever 
such poor had their situation. 

And be it further enacted by the authority aforesaid, that 
the said District of Berhn shall have a good right to claim 
and receive one equal third part of the publick stock of 
arms and ammunition belonging, before the passing this act 
to the Town of Bolton. 

And be it further enacted by the authority aforesaid, that 
the said District of Berhn may join with the Town of Bolton 
in the choice of a Representative, which Representative may 
be an inhabitant of the Town of Bolton, or of the District of 
Berlin, and shall be paid by the Town of Bolton and the 
District of Berlin in the same proportion as they shall pay 
other Publick charges, and the Selectmen of Bolton shall 
annually, at the usual time for issuing a warrant for notifying 
the voters to assemble for coming to the choice of a Repre- 
sentative, issue their Warrant directed to some Constable, 
or Constables of the District of Berlin, to warn the voters of 
the District to assemble with the said town of Bolton for 
that purpose. 

And be it further enacted by the authority aforesaid that 
the Inhabitants and Proprietors of Lands, which before the 
enacting hereof belonged to that part of the District of 
Berlin which was part of the Town of Marlboro, shall be 
holden to pay all taxes already assessed on them by the 
Town of Marlboro, anything in this act to the contrary not- 
withstanding. 



13 

And be it further enacted by the authority aforesaid that 
Samuel Baker, Esq., is hereby authorized to issue his warrant 
directed to some principal Inhabitant of the District of 
Berhn, requiring him to notify the inhabitants of the said 
District, qualified to vote by law in town affairs, to assemble 
at such time and place as he shall therein direct, to choose 
all such officers as Districts within this Commonwealth are 
directed and required by Law to choose in the Month of 
March, annually, and the said District of Berlin shall be 
considered as belonging to the County of Worcester, and 
the Easterly boundaries thereof, shall be the boundaries be- 
tween the Counties of Middlesex and Worcester. 

In the House of Representatives, March 16th, 1784. 

This Bill having had three several readings, passed to 
be enacted. TRISTRAM DALTON, Speaker. 

In Senate, March 16th, 1784. This Bill having had two 
several readings, passed to be enacted. 

SAMUEL ADAMS, President. 

Approved: JOHN HANCOCK. 

A true copy, attest : JOHN AVERY, Secretary. 

Copied bv Albert Babcock, Parish Clerk of the First Parish in Berlin 
Oct. 14th, 1878. 

Here follows the Warrant of the first meeting of the or- 
ganization of the District of Berlin. 

Worcester, ss.. To Fortunatus Barnes, a principal Inhab- 
itant of the District of Berlin, — Greeting : 

In the name of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, you 
are hereby authorized and required to warn the freeholders 
and other inhabitants of the said District, qualified by Law 
to vote in Town or District affairs, to meet at the meeting- 
house of said Berlin, on Monday, the twelfth day of April, 
instant, at one of the clock in the afternoon of the said day. 

1st. To choose a Moderator to preside at said meeting. 

2iid. To choose all such officers as Districts are by Law 
impowered to choose in the month of March annually ; and 
have this warrant, with a certificate of your doings thereon, 
at the time and place of said meeting. 

Given under my hand and seal this fifth day of April, in 
the year of our Lord, 1784, and in the eighth year of the 
Independence of the United States of America. 

SAMUEL BAKER, Justice of the Peace. 



14 

Worcester, ss., April y^ 12th, 1784. 

This may certify, that in obedience to the within warrant, 
I have notified and warned the Inhabitants of the District 
of BerUn, to meet at the time and place, and for the ends 
and purposes within mentioned, by order of the Hon. Sam'l 
Baker, Esq. FORTUNATUS BARNES. 

In observance of the foregoing Warrant, dated April 5th, 
1784, the Inhabitants of the District of Berlin, met at the 
Meeting-house in said District, on the twelfth day of April, 
1784, and proceeded as follows, viz : 

1st. Chose the Hon. Samuel Baker, Esq., Moderator for 
this meeting. 

2nd. Chose Jonathan Merriam, District Clerk. Sworn. 

Chose Lieut. James Goddard, Mr. John Temple, Jona. 
Merriam, Mr. William Sawyer and Capt. Barnabas Maynard, 
Select-men. All sworn. 

Mr. David Taylor, Mr. Jona. Merriam and Lieut. Henry 
Powers, Assessors. All sworn. 

Constable, Joel Fosgate. Sworn. 

Treasurer, Lieut. Timothy Jones. Sworn. 

Then voted to choose the other officers by hand vote, ex- 
cept the Wardens. 

Then chose for Highway Surveyors, Mr. Nathan Jones, 
Eph'm Fairbanks, Esq., Levi Merriam, and Capt. Barnabas 
Maynard. All sworn. 

Tything-men, Mr. Robert Fife and Ebenezer Worcester. 

Mr. Abel Baker and Jona. Baker, Hog Reaves. All sworn. 

Mr. Thomas McBride, Culler of Hoops and Staves. " 

Mr. Jonathan Jones, Surveyor of Boards and Shingles." 

Mr. John Temple, Sealer of Leather. Sworn. 

Then voted to adjourn this meeting unto Thursday the 
twenty-ninth day of April instant, to meet at this place at 
four o'clock in the afternoon, and s'^ meeting is adjourned 
accordingly. Attest : SAMUEL BAKER, Moderator. 

District of Berlin, April 29th, 1 784, from the adjourn- 
ment of this meeting of the organization of the District, we 
now pass to the Act of Incorporation of the District of 
Berlin into a Town, in the year 1812 — in a period of twenty- 
eight years. 



15 
COMMONWEALTH OF MASSACHUSETTS. 

In the Year of our Lord, one thousand eight hundred and 
twelve. 

An Act to Incorporate the District of Berlin into a Town by 
the name of Berlin. 

Article 1st. Be it Enacted by the Senate and House of 
Representatives, in General Court Assembled, and by the 
authority of the same : That the District of Berlin, in the 
County of Worcester, be and hereby is, Incorporated a town 
by the name of Berlin, subject to the like duties and require- 
ments, and Vested with all the Powers, privileges and immu- 
nities which other towns do or may enjoy agreeably to the 
Constitution and Laws of this Commonwealth. 

Article 2nd. Be it further Enacted, that either of the 
Justices of Peace for the County of Worcester, be, and he 
is hereby authorized to issue a Warrant directed to a free- 
holder, an Inhabitant of the said Town of Berlin, requiring 
him to notify and warn the freeholders and other Legal 
Voters thereof, to meet at such convenient time and place 
as shall be appointed in said warrant, for the choice of 
such Officers as towns are by law required to choose and 
appoint at their annual town meetings. 

In the House of Representatives, February 5th, 1812. 

This Bill having had three several readings, passed to be 
enacted. 

In Senate, February 5th, 1812. This Bill having had two 
several readings, passed to be enacted. 

SAMUEL DANA, President. 

Council Chamber, February 5th, 1812. 

Approved: ELBRIDGE GERRY. 

Secretary's Office, February 10th, 1812. 
A true copy. Attest : BENJAMIN HEMANS, Sec'y. 
Worcester, ss. To Mr. Ephraim Badcock, a freeholder 
and Inhabitant of the Town of Berlin, — Greeting. 

In the Name of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, 
this Warrant was issued by Levi Merriam, for the qualified 
voters of the Town of Berlin, to meet at their meeting-house 
on Monday, the second day of March next, at one o'clock, 
p. M., to act on the following articles, viz : 



16 

Article 1st. To choose a Moderator to preside at said 
meeting. 

Article 2nd. To choose all necessary Town Officers for 
the year ensuing. LEVI MERRIAM, 

A Justice of the Peace for the County of Worcester. 

Worcester, ss. In obedience to the above order, I have 
notified and warned the Legal Voters of the Town of Berlin 
to meet at the time and place, and for the purposes men- 
tioned. 

Berlin, Feb. 26th, 1812. EPHRAIM BADCOCK. 

Proceedings of meeting, Berlin, March 2nd, 1812. 

In observance of the foregoing Warrant, the freeholders 
and other inhabitants of the Town of Berlin, met at their 
meeting-house, and proceeded as follows, viz : 

Article 1st. Chose Dea. Stephen Bailey, Moderator, to 
preside at said meeting. 

Article 2nd. Chose Town Officers as follows. 

Dexter Fay, Town Clerk. 

Selectmen, Stephen Bailey, James R. Park, James God- 
dard, Jr., David Barnes, Alvan Sawyer. 

Solomon Howe, Amos Sawyer, Silas Houghton, 2nd, 
Assessors. 

Treasurer, Solomon Howe. 

Constable, Stephen Pollard. * 

After the Treasurer and Constable were chosen, the col- 
lection of taxes was set at Auction to the lowest bidder, and 
was undertaken by Stephen Pollard, for $1.39 for collecting 
one hundred dollars, and in the same proportion for collect- 
ing the whole amount. His bondsmen were Mr. Adam 
Bartlett and Mr. Amherst Bailey. 

Adjourned. 

STEPHEN BAILEY, Moderator. 



17 



Berlin as a Parish. 



The Rev. Reuben Puffer was settled as minister of the 
Parish in the year 1781, and continued as minister through 
its existence as a Parish, and as District, and as Town, until 
his death. His. ordination took place on a little knoll east 
of the common, under a white oak tree, the meeting-house 
being unfinished and not suitable for the occasion. There 
is a house now standing on said knoll, built by myself on 
contract with Franklin Conant, and is the house now owned 
by L. Woodbury, the records say east of the meeting-house, 
and I know that it was where that house stands, from my 
mother who was present at the ordination. 

It will be perceived by the records that at all the meetings 
called by the authority of the legislature, all the inhabitants 
qualified by law to vote in town affairs, were notified to meet 
for the purpose of organization. That the district superseded 
the parish, and in all their public affairs they acted as a 
town, except they joined with Bolton in the election of a 
representative, and were required to pay their proportional 
part of the expense of such representation. 

Berlin as a Town, 

The Town superseded the District, and was then inde- 
pendent, having no further relationship with Bolton ; in all 
their public affairs afterward they acted as a town, all their 
taxes for religious purposes were levied as a town, and the 
minister's salary was paid by the town. The twenty cords 



18 

of wood due the minister by settlement was contracted for 
by the town, and paid for by the town. 

In 1822 the old meeting-house was taken down by vote 
of the town and a new house built in its stead, and is the 
house now standing on the same premises. It was built by 
the town, and paid for by the town ; I am sure of it from 
the fact that after I became an acting citizen an article came 
up in a town warrant, at a legal town meeting to see if the 
town would relieve the committee chosen by the town to 
build the meeting-house, from personal responsibilities in- 
curred by them by hiring money for the use of the town, to 
pay for building the meeting-house, having given their own 
personal security for the same. The town did relieve them, 
whether by payment of money or giving the town's security, 
I am not sure, but sure I am the town did relieve them from 
their indebtedness. After the meeting-house was finished, 
the pews were sold at auction, and every man became pos- 
sessed of one, who apparently had means to do so, and 
nearly the whole town went to meeting, and every one ap- 
peared happy and contented. There was no discord, no 
contention, they were neighborly, peaceable and happy. 
They needed no locks or bolts on their doors ; everyones' 
property and rights were respected, and they were a happy 
people ; but that did not long remain, the serpent entered 
the Garden of Eden, and discord and unhappiness followed. 
Milton has it the serpent was found squat like a Toad at the 
ear of Eve, but the Savior baffled the serpent. At the time 
about which I am speaking, the serpent seems to have been 
obliged to change his tactics. The puritan age seems to 
have advanced too far toward the millenium ; the subtle 
serpent had to turn preacher to accomplish his purpose. If 
he had then been found, / think it would have been squat 
like a toad at the ear of Johnathan Edwards, President of 
Princeton College in New Jersey. He seems to have learned 



19 

wisdom by watching divine purposes and proceedings. It 
was necessary for him to select a mind capable of perceiving 
and executing his purposes. He must conjoin himself to a su- 
perior mind, capable of receiving, consolidating and arrang- 
ing a code of laws, with penalties annexed, which were too 
horrible to be readily received in the mind as a theological 
system of belief, unless predicated and elucidated by a mind 
so ingenious as to baffle common perception and under- 
standing. Such a mind he found in Johnathan Edwards. He 
might have then said like Mark Anthony at the funeral of 
Cassar (speaking aside) " Now let it work." It did work, 
and the work was comprehensive ; it convulsed puritan New 
England from center to circumference. The churches which 
had until then been town organizations were after that split 
up into fragments. I say town organizations, and the missive 
letters sent by the Church in Berlin inviting to the Coun- 
cil for the settlement of Dr. Puffer, ministers from other 
churches, are said by the records to have been sent to Sud- 
bury, East Sudbury, Stowe, Northboro', Westboro', Shrews- 
bury, Boylston and Lancaster, — all towns, no allusion to 
Parishes. But the Edwards' doctrine created new ideas, 
and new churches consequently sprung up. Berlin had its 
Edwards' champion in the person of Dea. Dexter Fay, his 
phrenological organization fitted him for the work which he 
pursued, the organ of wonder large, and that of fear also 
prominent ; he pursued his work with the tenacity of a vet- 
eran. His mind appeared to be unbalanced, he could see one 
thing and others would pass by apparently unnoticed, or 
their value underrated, he seemed to have had the Edwards' 
doctrine " on the brain," all other ideas must bend to that. 
He construed that to mean, what I was told by one who at- 
tended school where he was teacher, thus all persons who 
have sinned are doomed after death to be cast into a fire 
more intensely hot than any earthly fire, and there remain 



20 
forever without consuming, or the painfulness ever ceasing, 
unless redeemed before death from that penalty in the man- 
ner prescribed by Johnathan Edwards' theological scheme ; 
believing that he was indefatigable in proselyting and indoc- 
trinating his views upon others, not so much his equals, but 
those of inferior mental capacities compared with his own, 
he would enter houses when the male head of the family was 
absent, and by his ingenuity excite the fears of wife and 
daughters by his ingenious arguments and entice them away 
from their homes to attend meetings over which he presided, 
as chief manager, — disregarding the wishes of the husband 
and father, — thus destroying the peace of what had been 
happy homes. The father who had been accustomed, after 
his day's labor, to come to his home and find there a happy 
wife and daughters, with a table well spread with the com- 
forts of life, after partaking of which he sat down with his 
family, and during the evening apparantly enjoyed a fore- 
taste of heaven upon earth, suddenly found the scene 
changed ; instead, he found there a pandemonium, after Dea. 
Fay's stealthy entrance into his home in his absence. Dea. 
Fay could not see that discord was not Christianity, or if he 
could, he did not, and probably because his eyes were fixed 
on that terrible abyss described by Johnathan Edwards, but 
was never foretold or described by the Savior. He could 
not see that true Christianity made persons more kind, more 
charitable, more affectionate, more loving, husbands, wives, 
sons and daughters, and that his course produced the oppo- 
site effect. 

I well knew one man who had suffered by his course. I 
had daily intercourse with him for some years ; he had been 
Town Clerk many years, was a first-class millwright, and in 
every way a respected citizen. He told me that his family 
troubles were worse than a civil war, and were caused by 
Dea. Fay and his coadjutators. Another instance of improp- 



21 

er interference was in a prospective marriage relation 
between a young lady and gentlemen, well known to each 
other, both worthy and respectable inhabitants of the town, 
and apparently calculated to produce a happy union. Dea. 
Fay persuaded the young lady to believe that her soul's 
salvation would be endangered by marrying a person whom 
he termed an Infidel. By frequent interference the attach- 
ment was broken off, and she lived and died what was termed 
a petulant old maid. The man whom she discarded did 
not marry until at an advanced age. I knew them both well 
and am sure they would have been useful citizens, and an 
ornament to the town, had not their own private affairs been 
interfered with. There were other cases I might mention, 
of improper interference, but I forbear. 

Dea. Fay had a successful coadjutator in the person of 
Lady Puffer, the second wife of the Rev. Dr. Puffer. She 
was a woman of commanding presence, of friendly disposi- 
tion, and in every way calculated to be a pleasant compan- 
ion and neighbor. I know it from experience, which 1 will 
hereafter relate. She was a firm believer in the Edwards' 
theology. She was not the first woman who led her husband 
astray. By the persuasion of them and their friends. Dr. 
Puffer was persuaded to ignore as he did all his former asso- 
ciates in the ministry, who assembled and did take part in 
his ordination. He had exchanged with them, and his 
people had become familiar with their presence, were edified 
by their eloquence, had often clasped with them a friendly 
hand, and they seemed almost like persons of the same 
family. 

But a change took place ; to show what influences pro- 
duced it, an anecdote may here be stated. There were al- 
ways two services held on Sunday, and the intermission be- 
tween was only one hour, and the elderly people who lived 
at a distance were unable to go home and return, hence they 



22 

stayed over, and were wont to frequent the house of one 
Houghton, just south of the common. It had been rumored 
one Sunday that Dr. Lyman Beecher, father of Henry Ward 
Beecher, a prominent preacher in what was then termed the 
orthodox beUef, would be there and preach, but instead of 
Dr. Beecher, Rev. Joseph Allen, of Northboro', a colleague 
of Minister Whitney, one of the original councilors at the 
ordination of Dr. Puffer, did preach, and when the elderly 
ladies, at noon, were assembled at the house of said Hough- 
ton, one old lady, wife of Dea. Cyrus Houghton, observed, 
" what wise preaching we had to-day, I could sit all day and 
hear such preaching as that." The ever-present Dea. Fay, 
happened to be there, and exclaimed, " do you call that good 
preaching, Mrs. Houghton." She rephed, " I'm sure I do, 
don't you?" He replied, " I guess you don't know who 
it was." She replied, "It was Dr. Beecher, wasn't it?" 
" Oh no," said Dea. Fay, " that wasn't Dr. Beecher, it was 
little Jo. Allen of Northboro'." And little Jo. Allen and his 
associates were soon after that left out in the cold. The 
people were surprised and much grieved ; they longed to see 
their old friends and valued religious councilors, but they 
did not appear, instead they saw strange faces in the pulpit, 
except a few, such as Packard of Lancaster, Bucklin of 
Marlboro', and one or two others who took no part in Dr. 
Puffer's ordination. The people grew uneasy, and a petition 
was drawn up by Johnathan D. Merriam, or at his instance, 
and numerously signed by citizens, members of the society, 
and presented by said Merriam to Dr. Puffer, praying him to 
exchange with neighboring ministers, as he used to do. His 
reply was, " I cannot be dictated by my people in my old 
age; I will supply my pulpit myself;" and the people 
reluctantly acquiesced. They made no further effort during 
the life of Dr. Puffer. While the people acquiesced, Dea. 
Fay was ever busy, no labor or effort was to great to accom- 



23 

plish the end he had in view. He used to go to market 
often, with hay and farming produce, with a pair of horses, 
starting in the afternoon, would drive all night, or until 
nearly morning, then stopping to bait, a little out from Boston, 
at daylight drive in and dispose of his marketing, his business 
done, he would start for home, instead of driving out a short 
distance and putting up for the night, as other teamsters did, 
he would drive clear home without resting the poor horses, 
and gave as an excuse, " there is to be a religious meeting 
at Berlin, and I must be there." The poor horses had to 
travel two nights in succession, and during the second night 
drawing their master, and wagon, and perhaps some other 
loading, with emaciated limbs ; he not seeming to remember 
that a merciful man must be merciful to his beast, that true 
christian duty requires that man should treat with kindness 
all the dumb animals the Creator has made, that are placed 
under his care. 

I saw those poor horses once, attached to a wagon having 
a load of hay upon it, standing in the road a little east of 
the front of the meeting-house ; as I approached nearer I 
saw Dea. Fay coming from the direction of the house where 
the discord occurred, which I first mentioned, and approach- 
ing the horses, bade them go ; the horses did not start, and 
he applied the short lash of a whip which he held in his 
hand twice to each horse, and then they reluctantly started. 
I asked myself the question, can a man be a true christian, 
to wear down a pair of horses so that it took two smart 
strokes with a lash on each horse to make them start an or- 
dinary load, on level ground? I asked the question, but 
did not answer it. 

Affairs remained quiet until the news came. Dr. Puffer is 
sick, and a gloom seemed to spread around. The listening 
ear of the town was bent toward the parsonage. " Is he 
better?" was the inquiry, and " no," was the answer. In a 



24 
day or two the bell tolled the knell of his death. The next 
day was Sunday, and his son-in-law, Rev. Lyman Gilbert, 
supplied his desk, while his remains lay cold in death, and 
the town was in mourning ; they had lost a valuable friend. 
Many of his then parishioners were joined in wedlock by him, 
many of them were baptized at the altar by him, and 
many of their parent's funeral obsequies were performed by 
him, and now he \^s gone, and universal sorrow prevailed. 

But scarcely had his remains been interred, ere another 
scene commenced. The society called a meeting to adopt 
measures for the supply of the pulpit, which was then vacant. 
They chose a committee for that purpose, and the committee 
applied to the University School of Harvard College, for a 
candidate for that purpose, and a young man named Robert 
F. VValcut, who had just graduated from the school, was 
recommended to them, and they obtained his services as 
candidate. He preached a few Sabbaths, and the society 
held another meeting and voted to give Mr. Walcut a call 
for settlement. Up jumps Dea. Fay, "Whoever heard of 
the parish giving a minister a call ? the church should give 
the minister a call, and the parish concur ; " which was a 
quotation from the records, made while the territory was a 
parish. It was not a parish then, it was a religious society 
in the town of Berhn ; it was supported and maintained by 
the town, and the town was the society, and the town did 
not agree with Dea. Fay. They owned the property, they 
built the house and paid for it, and defrayed all the expenses 
of the society, and as they had a right, they voted to settle 
Robert F. Walcut, and he was ordained as minister. 

Then Dea. Fay and his followers seceded — and like the 

prodigal of old, left their Father's house— instead of asking 

for the portion of goods that fell to them, they took without 

. leave all they could lay their hands upon. They plundered 

the closet underneath the pulpit, of the sacrament service of 



25 

silver, plate, and other utensils, which until then had been 
considered safe ; and also carried off the church records. 
Those who remained at home, not being pugnacious, did 
not fight for the recovery of their property, but applied to a 
magistrate for a writ of replevin, and got Lyman Moore, then 
Deputy Sheriff of Lancaster, to serve the writ, which was 
done, and the property brought home to its lawful owner, 
and has remained there ever since. 

Notwithstanding the secession, Robert F. Walcut was or- 
dained, and during the ceremonies a small patch of plaster- 
ing, which had been loosened by the entrance of water 
through the belfry, fell from the ceiling upon the floor just 
back of the singer's seats. The sudden crash during the 
stillness of the ceremonies produced a startling sensation in 
the audience, but the cause was soon known, and nothing 
further thought of it then. 

It was afterwards echoed and re-echoed at the corners of 
the streets, — for poll-parrots, like children and fools, are apt 
to disclose the expressions of wiser ones, spoken in unguard- 
ed moments. The next day we heard sounding in our ears, 
" The walls cried out, ' Ha ! Ha ! Ha ! Ha ! ' " At the next 
corner was heard what seemed to be an echo, " The walls 
cried out, ' He ! He ! He ! He ! '" The re-echo we will 
wait awhile for. 

The Church divided, the majority going with the seceders, 
the choir also divided, and Merrick Houghton, who had 
been their chorister and teacher for many years, went with 
them. He was one of the first of singers in his day, and 
having great influence in the choir, naturally took others 
with him. The leadership of the old choir fell upon Amos 
Sawyer, Jr. There was naturally a competition between 
the two leaders for the services of one of the best soprano 
singers I ever heard, and fifty dollars bonus, paid her by 
Sawyer, retained her in the old choir ; so she told me while 



26 

sitting at table with herself and husband in her own house. 
She remained in the choir until her removal to Ohio, several 
years afterwards, Houghton remained in the other choir 
several years, and then removed to Amherst and became a 
noted singer and leader in Amherst College. 

The seceders built a small house and settled a man by the 
name of Baldwin as minister over them ; and he remained 
with them two years, and then asked for dismissal which was 
granted. They then chose a man named Burdett, who re- 
mained about the same time. After his dismissal, Mr. Clark 
was installed as Pastor, and he was succeeded by Robert 
Carver. In the meantime, Mr. \Valcut had asked for dis- 
mission, and it was granted, and David R. Lamson filled his 
place, remaining several years, and was cotemporary with 
Mr. Carver. This was about the time the anti-slavery and 
temperance movements came up. Mr. Lamson was the 
greater champion of Anti-slavery, and Mr. Carver and his 
society were greater champions of the Temperance move- 
ment. They both sympathized with each other, to a certain 
degree. 

Mr. Lamson's people were much offended at his too fre- 
quent allusions in his sermons to Anti-slavery and Temper- 
ance. I have frequently heard his people say, that they did 
not want "Rum and Niggers," " Rum and Niggers" preached 
to them all the time. They also objected to the too fre- 
quent intimacy between Mr. Lamson and Mr. Carver on the 
subject of Temperance. 

About this time I buried my first wife under very distress- 
ing circumstances. Mr. Carver and myself always having 
been friendly as citizens and neighbors, he wrote me a letter, 
the first part of which was sympathetic, after a half-page of 
words of condolence, he changed his effort to proselyting. 
He wrote thus : " Could you see the plain, simple views we 
entertain of religion, you would see that it is the very thing 



27 
you need now." He continued in other language of similar 
import, the design of which was to lead me into an approval 
of their peculiar Theological views. I replied to his letter ; 
inasmuch as it was a sympathizing letter, I accepted it with 
gratitude, but with its doctrinal efforts I had no sympathy. 
I further said, "As to your plain, simple views, I am well 
acquainted with them, as with those of every other denomi- 
nation of which I ever heard. I have made special efforts 
to ascertain the principles of those doctrines and theories, 
but I find none so good as the Bible itself, and I think that 
is all sufficient for human belief and guidance." My reply 
drew forth another letter from Mr. Carver in which he iterated 
and reiterated all the stereotyped phrases concerning faith 
and some other matters. 

I repUed to the second letter, stating my views of true 
faith. "I believe in an active, ever- working and ever-present 
operative faith. Faith without works is dead, being alone ;" 
and added, " show me thy faith without works, and I will 
show you mine by my works." I then said, '' I think you 
had better stay in your own fold, and take care of your own 
sheep ; there is work enough for you to do, and I think you 
had better do it, instead of going into other folds and steal- 
ing away their sheep and lambs." 

The next time I saw Mr. Carver, he did not look me quite 
square in the face, but after a few kind words from me, and 
civil, neighborly respect, without reference to religious belief, 
we became friendly as before, and were ever so afterward. 
My belief was unchanged, and I suppose his was also. 

Soon after this Httle episode, Mr. Lamson asked for dis- 
mission, and left. It was not long after Mr. Lamson's dis- 
mission, before Mr. Carver also left, for what reason, I know 
not. Both Societies were then without a stated minister, 
and remained so for six months or more. The Unitarian 
Society employed Mr. Bucklin of Marlborough, who was 



28 
considered a moderate Orthodox, The other Society had 
also supplied their pulpit by daily hire. I was then Super- 
intendent of the Unitarian Sabbath-school. I had ever felt 
sorrowful over the separation which had taken place, 
I always had longed to see them united again. I had 
resolved never to do anything which would tend to continue 
the discord, but to do everything which my feeble influence 
could do to re-unite them. 

I was then and ever had been on most intimate and 
friendly relations with Mr. Bride, who was at that time Su- 
perintendent of the other school. I said to my friends, 
" This is foolish, to pay two Orthodox ministers, when really 
we are hardly able to maintain one. Why not let us propose 
to the other Society to employ a candidate, and all come 
here to meeting to hear him, and see if we cannot settle 
him. I also talked with Mr. Bride. After some consulta- 
tion, both Parishes held meetings and each chose a commit- 
tee who were to meet each other in consultation. The 
Unitarian Parish chose for their committee, my uncle, John 
Bartlett, who was Deacon of the Church, my uncle, Asa 
Sawyer, who had been my predecessor for many years in the 
Sabbath-school, and myself. We met a similar committee 
from the other Parish, and it was agreed that a candidate 
should be obtained, and application was made to New Ha- 
ven, and they sent us a man named Herrick, and after 
preaching three Sabbaths, he came to me and said that he 
come for the purpose of uniting us ; that he believed there 
were good people in all denominations. He was going to 
be very liberal, and have in us all united, and we would be a 
happy people. Said I : "If we settle you, are you going to 
exchange with the neighboring ministers, as our Rev. Dr. 
Puffer used to do." " O ! No !" said he, " I can't do that," 
" Why not? " said I. " Why ! " said he, " if I do they will 
turn me out of the Association." " Ah ! " said I, " you 



•29 
are bound with Sampson's green withes, are you? If I be- 
Heved as you have expressed yourself to me, I would strip 
off those green withes, and throw them to the four winds. 
I would come out free and do what was right if the Heavens 
should fall." 

That was a wet blanket for him ; he preached one Sabbath 
more, and then set his face toward New Haven, and I have 
not seen him since. 

We next employed a man by the name of Henry Adams. 
He gave very good satisfaction. He appeared to be a 
pleasant man, and apparently would make a good townsman 
and citizen, and seemed to be very generally approved. To 
settle him there must be a process of formal uniting. A 
Parish meeting was called to consider the mode of uniting. 
There seemed no legal mode of uniting except by signing 
the book of membership of the Unitarian Parish, and that 
could not be properly done except in open Parish meeting, 
or at the office of the Parish Clerk. I knew of nothing im- 
proper being done at the time, but have since learned that 
the book was taken from the Parish Clerk's office by some 
member or members of the returning parish and carried 
around through the town, and recruits drummed up and 
pledges made that if a tax should be levied, their taxes 
should be paid for them, if they would sign the book and 
come forward and vote. Not content with what ihey could 
find in the town, they carried the book out of town. I did 
not know the fact at the time ; if I had have known it I 
I should have acted differently. There was another fact I 
will here state. The two Committees met at the house of 
Mr. Bride to make preparations for the installation of Mr. 
Adams. While so met, my uncle observed : " The fact is I 
have changed my principles, I am willing to own I have 
changed my principles." I was astonished, poor old man, 
he had long defended his faith. For many' years he and his 



30 

wife had walked to meeting together until they approached the 
Common, and there they parted. His wife went to the New 
Church, while he went to the Old House, the house of his 
fathers. Now she was about to come back to him, and he 
admitted he had changed his principles. Truly said, "once 
a man and twice a child." He did not turn his coat, but 
pulled off the old and put on a new one, and it did not re- 
quire a very shrewd Yankee to guess where he got it. But 
Mr. Adams was installed. During the ceremonies another 
patch of plastering fell from under the church tower ; but 
this time it did not all strike the floor. A part of it struck 
the bass-viol which was leaning against the window-stool. 
It made a different sound from that which fell when Mr. 
Walcut was ordained. There were two '' Cry outs," one of 
the walls, and one of the viol ; but the old heads were not 
listening probably, for if they were they did not repeat in the 
presence of the poll-parrots ; for the poll-parrots did not 
repeat, " The walls cried out, Ha ! Ha ! Ha ! Ha ! " But 
Mr. Adams was installed nevertheless. 

What was done afterward in the Church and Sabbath- 
school, I do not know. Whether the old members of the 
Church who had run away some years before without certifi- 
cates of recommendation to any other Church returned 
again without letters of recommendation, I do not know. 

I did not belong to the Church or meddle with their 
business, but I was Superintendent of the Sabbath-school, 
chosen by the unanimous vote of the school and teachers, 
and had served in that place six months or more. I was 
first to propose a re-union, and by my influence, coupled 
with that of others, the re-union was brought about ; but 
they had got a new Pharaoh who did not know Joseph. 
They never knew me afterwards. I never resigned that office, 
and have not to this day. How they could have superseded 
me I cannot see, but I was informed that they organized a 



31 
Sabbath-school, but never knew from any personal knowledge. 
I was anxious for a re-union, but supposed we were dealing 
with honest people ; but I had not studied Logic enough. 
I did then see that men could not, "Gather grapes of thorns 
and figs of thisdes." They had been taught that there was 
no merit in men, but only in the Savior. We had just what 
they had been taught. They could neither be honorable 
nor honest ; that would not serve their purpose. They seized 
what they could get and kept what they got, as the sequel 
will tell. 

After the installation and other matters were accomplished, 
a Parish meeting was called, and one article in the warrant 
was, " To see how the Minister's salary should be raised." A 
motion was made to raise it by subscription. That was voted 
down : instantly uprose twenty or more of the old parish- 
ioners, with pieces of paper in their hands. I saw in an in- 
stant the danger and sprang to my feet to tell them what 
they were doing. The next instant I saw if I did it would 
set the house on fire. I looked across the house at their 
trusted leader and counsellor. He sat with his arms on 
the bench as motionless as a statue. I looked at his hands 
to see if he had a paper ; he had none. Had he counseled 
them ? I turned back and looked at the clerk, he had re- 
ceived their certificates and they had committed suicide. 
They had ceased to be members of the Parish, and had 
thrown away their right in the meeting-house. They could 
not come back again without a majority vote of the remain- 
ing members, and the majority then was in the returned 
members. 

I had intended to hold them to good behavior as we had 
a majority vote, but their dishonesty in drumming up recruits, 
and the unwitting defection of the old members, threw the 
balance into the other scale. They then had everything their 
own way. When they first left it was a Town Society, when 



32 
they came back it was a Unitarian Parish. It had been or- 
ganized as such two or three years before by persons enroll- 
ing their names in a book purporting to be the " Parish 
Roll of Membership," the Parish having adopted that mode 
of admitting members. By signing that book they became 
legal members of the Unitarian Parish. 

And what are they to-day? Have they reorganized, or 
are they the same Unitarian Parish ? They went on very 
independently ; they occupied the town's meeting-house, 
built on a common given to the citizens of Bolton by deed of 
gift from Samuel Jones. It was aliened them and warranted 
and defended to them, their heirs and assigns forever. They 
committed a trespass upon the town's common by setting a 
lot of Rock Maple trees in geometrical form across the 
common, in front of the meeting-house, obstructing it, 
thereby, from uses to which it had been appropriated, and 
also producing a disagreeable aspect. 

A few of the trees at one angle were in the public way. 
Johnathan D. Merriam, Esq., being Highway Surveyor, re- 
moved them. They had hated him for years, he having 
been an obstacle to the accomplishment of their many de- 
signs. He was a general counsellor in Town and Parish 
affairs. They now found an opportunity to make an attack 
upon him. They ])rosecuted him under the law for willfully 
mutilating public shade trees. The old man was known to 
shed tears under the persecution. He was tried and acquit- 
ted, he having the right as Highway Surveyor to remove 
them. The rest of the trees remained for a while, much to 
the disgust of many of the citizens, they objecting to the 
Parish placing obstructions upon the town's property. But 
they waked up one fine morning in the midst of mingled joy 
and consternation ; all the trees except those beside the 
County way were lying on the ground. They had been 
sawed off close to the ground, and who was the culprit? 



33 

They measured footprints to try to find out who made them. 
One man was flatly accused of doing the deed, much to his 
own disgust. At last the culprit was found. He was a man 
the least to be suspected. He borrowed a saw, and told 
what he was going to do with it, and was thus found out. 
He was prosecuted and paid the penalty in the county-house. 
It was one of those cases where the Lord brings good out of 
evil. He violated the law and paid the penalty ; but the 
deed was productive of more good than any other individual 
act that I know of being done in Berlin. 

It will have been observed that I raise the question, — 
AVhat is the true name of the present Parish? Will their 
assumption change their name without a formal organization ? 
It was said in the latter part of Dr. Puffer's ministry, that 
the old ministers who participated in his ordination had 
changed their principles. They protested that they had not 
changed. Let us see by some acts which did take place. 

There used to be two companies in town who had each 
their association of individuals, and they held their social 
dances, then called balls. They were styled the old compa- 
ny and the young company. I heard one of the old com- 
pany say, that at one of their balls, held at the tavern hall, 
they proposed to invite Dr. Puffer to take supper with them. 
Edward Johnson was delegated to bear the invitation. The 
invitation was accepted, and he returned accompanied by 
Dr. Puffer, and he sat with them at their festive board, there- 
by sanctioning the innocent amusement of the young people 
many of whose foreheads had been baptized with his own 
hands. He addressed the Throne of Grace, and asked a 
blessing upon their festive board. 

Another instance I will relate, of which I was an eye 
witness. The first ball I ever attended, Phebe Puffer, 
daughter of Dr. Puffer, and his only daughter by his last wife 
was one of the company, and Lewis Sawyer, son of Dea. 



34 

Oliver Sawyer, was her companion and escort. The foregoing 
statement will serve to show the sentiments entertained by 
that denomination at that time. Let us now see from the 
sentiments expressed what the change was. The same 
company afterwards held another ball, and the seceders who 
left the old parish held a meeting the same evening, and were 
said to have expressed the following sentiments : "'' The 
young people are dancing themselves into hell." 

In a later day, while Mr. Carver was minister, an old citi- 
zen by the name of Alvan Sawyer, died. His funeral was to 
take place on the Sabbath. He was an old honored citizen, 
and had always worshiped in the old house until enfeebled 
so that he could not. The Old Parish as usual threw open 
their doors for the funeral services, and Mr. Carver, their 
minister, was invited to the pulpit. We expected a funeral 
sermon. Instead we had a sermon directed entirely to a 
(cw young people who had held a social ball but a short time 
before. He took his text from Solomon's advice to young 
people ; he said it was ironical language ; he used it ironic- 
ally. He would say to the young people, " Enjoy yourselves 
but remember that you have got to be punished for such 
enjoyments." He asked the question: "Who would be 
willing to go out of a ball-room into Eternity? " He was in 
the coward's castle, we could not answer him : the law would 
not allow us to disturb a religious meeting. We had to sub- 
mit to the insolence, but with rather an ill grace. We were 
a little unwise : to show our contempt we had another ball 
in about a fortnight. 

I allude to these things to show the sentiment entertained 
by Dr. Puffer while he was associated with those Ministers 
who ordained him, and also those entertained by the sece- 
ders who ruled him in his last days. 

The question now arises : " Who owns the present meet- 
ing-house?" The town built it and paid for it and the 



35 

Common was given by deed to the citizens who compose the 
Town, and the Town has never sold the meeting-house, or 
given it away. If the Town has ever been deprived of its 
property, it was by fraud. Can any Parish or any other body 
of people prosper while entertaining a fraud? It may be 
said, if there is a fraud, their fathers committed it. If the 
fathers committed a fraud did not the sons uphold it? If 
there is a wrong, the wrong will never become right. Right 
is Eternal, and will ever beget right. Wrong is Infernal, and 
will ever beget wrong. Wrong can be superceded by right, 
but it can never become right. If there has been a wrong, 
there never can be prosperity while the wrong exists. There 
suggests to me two ways of doing right, one is to call a town 
meeting, see what the town will do with its own property, 
and let their decision be final. Another is to bring a Bill of 
Equity suit in the Supreme Court : that will decide the right 
of the Town and Parish finally. 

Events are to be judged by their results : let us trace the 
effect of an erroneous theology. Dea. Fay was the champion 
of the Edwards' doctrine. He was well educated, a fluent 
speaker, and an efficient leader. He seemed to believe what 
he taught, and so believing, was ever active and untiring in 
his efforts. He was a plausible leader, and his followers were 
easily led, Uke those named in Scripture, as blind led by the 
blind, and both fell into the ditch. Dea. Fay was afterward 
admitted to be an insane man. Some persons thought he 
feigned insanity, on account of testimony given in the James 
Goddard will case ; but I knew him to be insane from occu- 
lar demonstration. I made the cofiin for the body of his 
deceased son, and as was my practice carried it to the house 
to assist in depositing the remains therein. I placed it upon 
the floor beside the remains. Dea. Fay came into the room, 
caught hold of the head end of the coffin, lifted it up from 
the floor on end, looked at the bottom, the sides and the top 



36 

in rapid motion. His son Nahum came and took him by the 
arm and led him out. No man feigning insanity, would have 
done that act within six feet of the body of his deceased 
son. He was insane; when did he become so? Were I 
under oath 1 could not tell. In my opinion he began to be 
insane when he first embraced the Edwards' theology ; as 
evidence, he used to teach school, and I heard my uncle 
say that when he was a scholar under him, he heard him tell 
the scholars if they did certain acts, naming them, when 
they came to die they would go to Hell and be cast into a 
fire hotter than any earthly lire, and there be burned forever. 
Such language is to me evidence of insanity. His mind was 
unbalanced ; he could see one thing and pursue that one 
thing to the exclusion of nearly all others. His followers 
seemed to partake of that one idea, which is evidence to me 
that a body of persons can become insane by following an 
insane leader. 

He had a coadjutor in the person of Luke Fosgate. He 
was never tiring, always exerting himself to propagate the 
same doctrine. I have seen him often, going in and out of 
houses, and by inquiring of the inmates, I found that his 
business was to propagate religious ideas. For many years he 
was in that active business. At length a new tempest came 
up. The Millerite blast carried him away in its current. He 
became its most energetic advocate. I went to a meeting, 
held under a tent, the day before the one set for the destruc- 
tion of the world. Luke Fosgate was there present, and 
made a prayer, in which he uttered the following words : 
" Without a doubt before another day dawns, the Lord will 
come, and the wicked will be destroyed." I had learned 
what I went for, that they were an honest, deceived people. 
I went home and slept well that night ; when I rose in the 
morning, the world was all the same as before, nothing un- 
common had happened. I saw no more of Luke Fosgate 



37 

for some time, but after a while I heard that he and his wife 
had gone to the Shakers. I saw him several times afterward 
dressed in Shaker garb ; once he was with the woman whom 
he had sworn to love and cherish as his wife. He called 
her " Sister Mary," and they had with them the inevitable 
spy, another woman must go with them when they traveled, 
no one woman ever being trusted alone with a man, not even 
Luke Fosgate and his wife, to whom we was lawfully married, 
and they had five grown up children. He lived and died 
with the Shakers. Was he sane? 

I have promised to allude again to Mrs. Puffer. I was 
sent for by her after the societies had united, to do some 
painting in the rooms which she occupied in the old parson- 
age. I complied with her request, and did the labor ; during 
the time I was painting she was much in the rooms, one of 
them being her living room. I had a very pleasant conver- 
sation with her, and no one could be in her presence with- 
out feeling themselves elevated. She was a talented and 
noble woman. I spoke to her of the union of the socie- 
ties, which I had been instrumental in bringing about. I 
expressed to her my disappointment at certain results. She 
observed, " I am sorry they were ever united, they never 
can agree, and they ought never to have united." 

I used language to draw out her theological sentiments. 
I would not engage with her in controversy, I knew it would 
be useless ; but I wished to know, personally, her real senti- 
ments. She expressed them freely. I found them stronglv 
the Edwards' theory. I told her that I could not conceive 
it possible that a portion of a family should go down to that 
terrible abyss, while the other portion could be happy in 
heaven knowing that their friends were suffering such misery. 
She replied " Well, I believe that it will in some way be 
brought about, that the punishment of the wicked will con- 
tribute to the happiness of the righteous, and add to God's 



38 

glory. I could but respect her, though I could not believe 
in her theory. 

I must allude to one person more. Mr. Josiah Bride and 
I were always friends. We were of different opinions, but 
always charitable toward one another. He was superin- 
tendent of one sabbath-school, and I of the other, when the 
parishes united. He was upon one committee, and I upon 
the other while the preparatory proceedings for the re-union 
were taking place. Business life separated us for n)any 
years. Three years ago I met him before his own house. 
During a pleasant conversation, he said : " I think very dif- 
ferently from what I used to think. I had a very pleasant 
conversation with your Uncle a short time since, and I en- 
joyed it much. I am satisfied if we had known each others 
sentiments better we should have been more agreed, and 
there would have been less bitterness of feeling." 

Mr. Bride was at my house a few weeks since and ex- 
pressed his views of the future, unsolicited and although I 
did not express mine, I could not now name any disagree- 
ment between us, and I do not know that I have ever 
changed my theological views. 

I have heard that there has been some conveyances of 
land, purported to be a part of the common ; but it was a 
great mistake, as will be seen by reference to the copy which 
I herewith pubUsh of the deed from Samuel Jones to the 
inhabitants of Bolton, who had been set off as a Parish. I 
obtained the copy of the deed from the Register of Deeds, 
and is certified to by him as a true copy. By that deed, 
there is a strip of land, being a part of the common, two 
rods wide, lying South of the County road. The first bound 
described was a Red Oak tree standing near the house of 
Mrs. Peters, about nineteen rods distant from the burying 
field, and not to the corner of the burying field as has 
been supposed, thence turning Northerly, running five rods 



39 

which would carry it precisely to the North line of the 
County road ; thence turning Northeasterly, running ten rods 
to a Red Oak, marking the line of the County road, thence 
a little more Northerly on the North-westerly line of the 
Town way, twenty-six rods, thence Easterly across the Town 
way two rods, to a heap of stones ; thence South-westerly, 
eleven rods, thence Southerly about twelve rods, to the 
Northerly line of the County road ; thence South-westerly, 
across the County road, five rods, to the first bound. 

It will be seen that the Common does not extend across 
the County road at the Western extremity, until it reaches 
ten rods from the point opposite the corner of the bury- 
ing field. And then the Common is bounded on the Town 
way as it then existed, which was the only Town way leading 
to Bolton. 

I understand that a Town way has been recently laid out 
on the west side of the Common, they supposing there was 
no Town way there. But if they had gone to the Town 
records of Bolton, they would probably have found the 
record of its being laid out, if not in Bolton, then at Lancas- 
ter, for Berlin was a part of Bolton when the deed was given 
and Bolton might have been a part of Lancaster at the time 
the deed was made out. Certainly the deed describes a 
Town way on the west side of the Common, then existing : 
hence all the land west of the Town way, owned by the 
Town was an after purchase, and not included in the Jones' 
deed. 

I well remember the meeting-house sheds being built. 
They were built by the Town, and sold to individuals, who 
by such sale obtained the right of use, but no right to tear 
down or destroy, any more than they had to tear out pews 
in a meeting-house. Every person who has taken down a 
shed has committed a trespass. Whoever bought of the 
owners, bought only the right of use, and not the right to 



40 

mutilate the town's property. The Parish had no shadow of 
right there any more than the British had to offer Ethan 
Allen land to serve them. If there have been any deeds 
given of such land, by the Parish, they are a fraud and of 
none effect, and the givers of such deeds are liable to an 
action for fraud under the statute making it a penal offense 
to make a fraudulent conveyance of property. 

If Miss Bullard has bought any real estate near her own 
premises, -of the Parish, she has bought her own property ; 
for neither the Parish nor the Town ever did own any prop- 
erty there, and whoever made the conveyance had better 
not delay making restitution for the fraud. 

I have written this history in behalf of right. I believe 
right is Eternal, and will ever beget right. Wrong is Infernal, 
and will ever beget wrong. Wrong can be substituted by 
right. Good may come from the discovery of wrong, but 
good can never be made out of wrong. It is said that error 
will go round the world while truth is putting on his boots. 
But when Truth comes with his boots well on, Error had 
better get out of the way, for Truth will stand firm in his 
boots. 

Let me here advise the Parish in Berlin to do right, or 
they will never prosper. Every apparent prosperity will be 
a sham until they place themselves right. 



HISTORY 



OF THE 



PARISH AND TOWN 



BERLIN. 



BY A. CARTER. 



1883 



WORCKSTER, mass: 
1878. 



-2 7 0>O('^ 

h c ( li \- 



